Differential mechanism.



C. W. TAYLOR.

DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION 'FILED MAY 5.1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

' 1,220,289. V Patented Mar.27,1917.

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c. w. TAY LOR. DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM.

APPLICATION FILED HAY 5,1916.

1320389; Patented Mar. 27,1917.

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AVAILABLE copy UNITED STATES PAT NT orsion.

CLARENCE W. TAYLOR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO ONLAKE COMPANY, OF

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

DIFFERENTIAL MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

Application filed May 5, 1916. Serial No. 95,545.

To all whom it may concern."

lie it known that I, (II-\RENCE W. TAYLOR, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful In'iprovements in Dilferential Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in differential mechanism, and the objects of my improvement, when applied to motor vehicles, are, first, to provide devices for equalized driving mechanism of the class whereby to avoid swerving of the car at high speed or on slippery road, to keep one wheel from spinning while the other is embedded in sand,

. mud or snow, and to protect tires from grind ing and injury, and by holding down the wheel travel to the fewest revolutions for a given distance to reduce power waste; and, third, to'afi'ord automatic compensation for the difference in travel of motor vehicle wheels.

Withtheforegoing and other objects in view, my invention consists in thenovel features and in the novel combination and arrangement of parts'hereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying. drawings forming a part of this specification, and particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended, it being understood that changes, variations and modificationsin the details ofthe invention, within the scope of the claims, may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrifioing any. of the advantages thereof, hence I do not limit my invention to the exact construction and arrangement of parts shown and described.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a horizontal section of the central portion of a rear axle construction of an automobile, withmy invention incorporated therewith Fig. 2 is a perspective view of the single driving member.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of the positions of the driving and driven members when power is equally applied to both driven members. V v Fig; 4 is a-similar viewiof the positions of "the driving and driven members when the :speed of one driven member is greater than that of the driving member.

power, second-,a construction of I I Similar numerals and letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

The embodiment chosen to illustrate iny invention disclosed herein is assembled in a Ti mken rear axle of a motor vehicle.

Broadly stated iny invention comprises a divided or two-part shaft with driven members secured to the meeting ends of the shaft, and power imparting means capable of rotation on the shaft and carrying a single driving member mounted for lateral bodily movement relative to the power'imparting means and normally in power transmission engagement with both of the driven members and adapted to be forced by the road power of a vehicle wheel out of engagement with either one of the driven members at a time, and having equalized driving power on both vehicle wheels when their speeds are equal or nearly so.

Preferably the operating parts are formed of metal of sufiicient hardness to give a long term of usefulness, but for the purpose of minimizing noise in operation the driving' member or the driven members or all may be constructed of any suitable orpreferred material to obviate noise in operation.

Referring to the drawings the letter A. designates a non-rotatable housing and the letter B. denotes a power imparting'means or rotatable housing, both parts being well known in this art.

At the meeting or adjacent ends 6, 7, of a divided shaft there are secured co-axially disposed driven members 8, 5), each having an anniilar series of teeth 10 of the bevel type. .Ireferably the teeth are longer and the valleys ll )etween the teeth are decperf than in 1- ie, case of the ordinary bevel pinion used in the common difi'erential of the bevel gear type. The annular space between the driven members, 8, 9, has positioned therein a single driving member C, disposed concentric with the driven members, and having clutch teeth 13, on both sides suitably formed for power transmission engagement with the driven members, the clutch teeth 13, preferably being disposed in a plurality of series of teeth. I do not limit my inven-' tion to theoxact formation, arrangement or number 01 teeth. As in the case of the teeth on the driven Litlllllt the teeth on the driving member, "he i .th 13, preferably, are longer and the vaiieys 12 between the teeth are dceper.- The angle of the working and the member C are formed with bevel clutch-teeth but are not limited to this form of tooth.

The element B. preferably is formed of two parts 14, 15, each having in its inner wall a plurality of grooves 16 which have open outer ends, where the two parts 14, 15 are secured together by bolts 17. The grooves thus formed are to receive for lateral travel the free ends of the peripheral studs 18 of the element C. For the purpose of alinement of the studs 18 and to prevent lost rotative movement of the member C. the studs 18 are rectangular in form. The grooves 16 are of suiiicient length to permit enough bodily movement of the element C. for clearance of either driven member when its speed is greater. The element B. carries a bevel gear wheel 19 which is in mesh with the pinion 20.

In operation, when the power imparting means B, is actuated, the single driving member C. which normally is in mesh with the teeth of both driven members, 8, 9, will, by the cam action of the teeth, be forced to a position equally in mesh with the teeth of:

both driven members, until one vehicle wheel, in turning a corner or describing a longer radius curve or for other reason. has a greater speed than the other vehicle wheel, when the road power of the faster vehicle wheel will, by the cam action of the teeth, force or slide the driving member bodily and laterally enough to allow the driven member of the vehicle wheel having the greater speed to pass the teeth of the driving memher until their speeds are equal or nearly so, when the driving member will again ati'ord a two wheel drive in the direction of rotation of the motor vehicle.

I do not limit my invention to the peripheral studs 18 of the member (1 and the grooves 16 in the power imparting means for one reason which is'obvious that the grooves may be formed as slots transversely in the periphery of the member (l and suitable radial studs or projections may be formed on the inner wall of the power imparting means for slidable engagement of the member C with the power imparting means.

It will appear from the drawings and the foregoing description that the distance from the point of the teeth on one side to the points of the teeth on the other side of the driving member C, is greater than the annular space between the driven members, and that all teeth are comparatively long clutch teeth with a depth between them suiiicient to permit bodily movement of the driving member C laterally sullicient for compensatingclearance of the driven memher having greater speed than the driving member C.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire by Letters Patent, is

L'A device of the class described, comprising a divided shaft, co-axially disposed driven members fixed to the adjacent ends of the divided shat't, power imparting means having a plurality of grooves in one wall thereof, a single driving member having peripheral studs disposed between the driven members and normally in engagement with both of them and slidably connected with the power imparting means to permit lateral bodily movement of the driving member relative to the power imparting means.

2. A device of the class described, comprising a pair of (so-axially disposed driven members, having an annular space between them, a single driving member disposed concentric with the driven members, in said annular space, power imparting means having a plurality of grooves in one wall thereof,

the single driving member having clutch ing a plurality of grooves in one wall thereof, the single driving member having clutch teeth on both sides for power transmitting engagement with the driven members and peripheral studs having their free ends disposed for travel in the grooves of the power imparting means to permit lateral bodily movement of the driving member, and a shaft secured toeach of said driven members.

4. A device of the class described, comprising a pair of co-axially disposed driven members, having an annular space between them, a single driving member disposed concentric with the driven members, in said annular space, power imparting means havin a plurality of grooves in one wall thereo the single driving member having a plurality of series of clutch teeth on both sides for BEST AVAILABLE COP to permit lateral bodily movement of the driving member relative to the power imparting means. and a. shaft seeul'ed to eaeh of said driven members.

5. A deviee of the (lass deserihed, romprising a pair of eo-axiallv disposed driven members. having an annular spare between them. a'sin u'le driving; memher disposed eon centric with the driven meulhere, in said annular space. power 'im 'iarting means having a plurality of grooves in one. wall thereof, the single driving memher ha ring a plurality ofeeries of rlutrh teeth on hoth SHiOH and peripheral studs having thelr'l'ree ends disposed for travel in end grooves to permit lateral movement of the. drivingmenr oer relative to the powerimparting means. eaeh driven member having an annular ries of eluteh teeth on one side normally in mesh with the eluteh teeth of the driving 25 member, and a shaftseeured to eaeh of said driven members. I

(i. A device of the class described romprisiu divided shaft. eoaxially disposed driven memhers lixed to the adjaeent ends of the divided shaft. power i'mparting'mean having); a plurality of grooves in one wall thereof, a. single driving member suitably formed for power tra islnittimq engagement with both of the driven niemhers and having peripheral means for sliding engagement with the power imparting means.

7. In a device of the elass described. in eomhiimtion, power imparting means having a plurality of grooves in its inner all, a plurality of driven memhers having hevel elutrlrteeth on one side, a single driving memher havinghevel eluteh-teeth on-hoth sides thereof and normally in engagement with hol'h of the driven members and havmg peripheral studs slldahly conneeted with the power imparting means to permit lateral liodilv movement relative thereto.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

GLA 1! EN (111) \V. TAYLOR.

\V i tnesses Seo'r'r M. HOGAN, C. Anvnn. 

